Re: Arc length vs pwr

To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: Arc length vs pwr
From: "John H. Couture" <couturejh-at-worldnet.att-dot-net>
Date: Mon, 21 Oct 1996 22:27:50 +0000
At 04:25 AM 10/20/96 +0000, you wrote:
>From wb8jkr-at-juno-dot-comSat Oct 19 21:28:18 1996
>Date: Sat, 19 Oct 1996 06:59:13 EDT
>From: Mark S Graalman <wb8jkr-at-juno-dot-com>
>To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
>Subject: Re: Arc length vs pwr
>
>
> Big snip
----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>>
>>The coupling or K factor is only a ratio of mutual inductance divided by
sqrt LpLs.
>>The ratio indicates the amount of energy transferred. Coupling does not
create or consume energy. Creation or consumption of energy is only in the
primary or secondary circuits.
>>
>>Jack C.
>
>Jack,
>
> That point is understood, I was talking about what the
>effect to the primary is during its energy release if it
>is loosely coupled to a secondary coil, or any other load
>for that matter. I guess my thought was any energy that
>wasn't transferred to the seconday coil would be returned
>to the capacitor during the collapse of the primary field. I would think
>that a ringing primary too loosely
>coupled to a load or not coupled at all to a load, namely
>a secondary coil would exhibit extremely high peak voltages and
>distruction of the capacitor would be ultimately unavoidable. 
>
>			Mark Graalman
>
 I agree with you that the energy that is not transferred from the primary
to the secondary remains in the primary capacitor and not in any flux or
field. When the gap is open there is no flow of current in the primary
circuit and any residual energy is left in the capacitor as an electrical
charge.

Your remark about possible high voltages in the primary capacitor is an
interesting  thought but I do not believe it is possible in the Tesla coil
primary circuit. As long as the gap is closed the pri cap is losing energy
to the pri circuit. Suddenly opening the circuit would cause a rise in
voltage across the pri coil (negligible) according to the equation V = L
di/dt (inductive kick). However, this action does not occur across the pri
cap as the voltage across the cap can never be greater than the source peak
voltage. 

However, in a circuit where the inductance is large compared to the
capacitance, like the secondary circuit, I would guess this is a
possibility. The Tesla coil system would have to be a DC type that could
leave the toroid with a high voltage charge. This could affect the secondary
ringing. I have never heard of anyone checking for this kind of charge or
even if it is possible. I do know that on AC systems when they are turned
off there is somtimes a charge left on the outside of the secondary coil.
Another experiment for the big coil researchers. What do you think, R.Hull
and R.Quick? 

Jack C.